Research shows that gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps you feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
Be inspired by these quotes:
“Gratitude lifts our eyes off things we lack so that we might see the things we possess.”
Max Lucado
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole world turned around.”
Willie Nelson
“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”
Karl Barth
“Gratitude is one of the most medicinal emotions we can feel. It elevates our mood and fills us with joy.”
Louise Armstrong
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it.”
William Arthur Ward
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
Melody Beattie
“The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perspective to such an extent that it changes the world that you see.“
Dr. Robert Holden
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”
Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
“God says give thanks in everything. That doesn’t mean you need to give thanks FOR everything. You don’t need to give thanks FOR that bad day. Or FOR that bad relationship. Or being passed over at work. Financial hardship. Whatever it is – you are not to give thanks FOR the difficulties, but rather IN the difficulties. That is a very important distinction, and one I think we often miss. Giving thanks IN everything shows a heart of faith that God is bigger than the difficulties and that He can use them, if you approach Him with the right heart and spirit, for your good and His glory.”
Tony Evans
“We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal.”
J.I. Packer
“No matter what our circumstances, we can find a reason to be thankful.”
Dr. David Jeremiah
“There are three requisites to the proper enjoyment of earthly blessings: a thankful reflection, on the goodness of the giver; a deep sense of our own unworthiness; and a recollection of the uncertainty of our long possessing them. The first will make us grateful; the second, humble; and the third, moderate.”
Hannah More
“If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace.”
Max Lucado
“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“God is in control, and therefore in EVERYTHING I can give thanks – not because of the situation but because of the One who directs and rules over it.”
Kay Arthur
“A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.”
John Bunyan
“In happy moments, PRAISE GOD. In difficult moments, SEEK GOD. In quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD. In painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD.”
Rick Warren
“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.”
John MacArthur
“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.”
C.S. Lewis
“Be thankful. God has commanded it—for our good and for His glory. God’s command to be thankful is not the threatening demand of a tyrant. Rather, it is the invitation of a lifetime—the opportunity to draw near to Him at any moment of the day.”
Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.”
A.W. Tozer
“Genuine thankfulness is an act of the heart’s affections, not an act of the lips’ muscles.”
John Piper
“Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God and keep us engaged with Him; it will take our attention from ourselves and give the Spirit room in our hearts.”
Andrew Murray
“It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.”
Tim Keller
“When we choose thankful prayer over wallowing in anxiety and worry, we are demonstrating an unwavering trust in God.”
Priscilla Shirer
“A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.”
Billy Graham
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
G.K. Chesterton
“’Gratitude’ comes from the same word as freedom (gratis = free). Gratitude is the freeing expression of a free heart toward one who freely gave.”
Ravi Zacharias
“Gratitude produces deep, abiding joy because we know that God is working in us, even through difficulties.”
Charles Stanley
“Jonathan Edwards calls the deeper, primary form of thankfulness ‘gracious gratitude.’ It gives thanks not for goods received, but for who God is: for His character — His goodness, love, power, excellencies – regardless of favors received. And it’s real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person’s life.”
Chuck Colson
“Gratitude is a decision of the will, and if a decision of the will, the choice resides squarely with us. Deciding to be thankful is no easy task. It takes work.”
Chuck Swindoll
“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.”
Thomas Merton
“I’m just thankful for everything, all the blessings in my life, trying to stay that way. I think that’s the best way to start your day and finish your day. It keeps everything in perspective.”
Tim Tebow
“If there was ever a secret for unleashing God’s powerful peace in a situation, it’s developing a heart of true thanksgiving.”
Lysa Terkeurst
You can practice gratitude any number of ways:
- Journaling.
- Praying.
- Paying attention to the little things in life, like the birds in the trees.
- Telling someone you’re grateful for them.
- Doing something kind for someone in your life.
- Meditating on the positive aspects of your life.
Whatever way(s) you use, as Nike says “Just Do It.” Then, watch your happiness increase.
Discover additional inspiration at https://vernonlwilliams.com
It’s Your Turn Now… I would love to hear from YOU.
Which point mentioned above resonated with you most today? Why?
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